On his latest album, Randy Garcia sings “Music is the only reason on this Earth for some of us to stay,” and it’s a mantra that’s as catchy as it is bittersweet. Nerd Parade is a celebration of life and music, and it’s just another in a long line of quality home-brewed records from Garcia’s criminally overlooked Nophi Recordings.Nophi
Randy Garcia has quietly been building an empire in central and south Florida, racking up an impressive catalog of releases that touch nearly every corner of the vast field of electronic music. Whether he’s releasing his own work under the r_garcia alias or putting out records by kindred spirits, the same enthusiasm and sense of purpose permeates everything he touches. It’s that enthusiasm that makes Garcia’s live performances so magical, and also what makes Nerd Parade a fun, eclectic ride through Garcia’s unique headspace.
It’s obvious that Garcia is a product in some sense of the Florida rave scene, as his songs here all build and break to serve the impulse to dance. His drum programming and beat chopping could easily land him in the top echelon of dance music producers if making club and party music was his only goal. Thankfully, he brings much more to the table on Nerd Parade, showing that he’s equally comfortably coaxing melodies out of bluesy guitar as he is bubbling along with sid-chip synths. This might be the only album this year to mix tabla, electric guitar, amen breaks, Miami bass, and over-the-top game melodies and make that improbable mix work.
With as much style hopping and genre mashing as Garcia does, there’s sure to be a track or two on a record like this that just miss a particular set of ears, but the reverse is also true: there’s something for everyone to love here. Some of the synths are cheesy and the rhythms are occasionally straightforward to a fault, but it’s all supposed to work that way. The secret weapon for Nerd Parade is Garcia’s absolutely fearless pursuit of a good tune. Melodies stick out in an almost embarrassing way until you realize that Garcia’s well aware that he is the leader of the Nerd Parade, and he revels in it. And while he occasionally breaks beats with the ferocity of the darkest breakcore 12”es, he does it playfully, in service of a simple joy that makes his music something special and transcendent of genre or style.
I hear that Garcia is working on a rock band side project now, and who can say what will come after that? As I replay this record, I keep coming back to the truth of “Music Is The Only Reason” and I realize that r_garcia is one of those rare artists who makes music that is vital, unpretentious, and pure fun. If Nerd Parade helps to remind me of what music means to me along the way, that’s even better.
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